Chicago Nonprofit HACE Announces Partnership with Trellix, Creation of Program to Train Latino Professionals in Tech, Cybersecurity Fields

Recognizing the limited diversity, especially with Latino talent, within the technology and cybersecurity fields,?The Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE)? has entered into a partnership with ?Trellix, a global company redefining the future of cybersecurity and soulful work, to create a special cohort program.

CHICAGO, Aug. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Recognizing the limited diversity, especially with Latino talent, within the technology and cybersecurity fields,?The Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE) has entered into a partnership with ?Trellix, a global company redefining the future of cybersecurity and soulful work, to create a special cohort program.

Beginning Thursday, Aug. 10, The Trellix-sponsored Emerging Latino Leaders Program (ELLP), a virtual program, is designed to support Latino/a/x/e professionals interested in culturally-relevant leadership and cybersecurity opportunities. Participants enrolled in the nine-session program will learn about industry standards and frameworks from subject matter experts. The curriculum assists in mastering the multiple roles and unique challenges that Latino/a/x/e professionals face within the cybersecurity industry through self-reflection, executive coaching, industry expert peer mentoring, and culturally relevant content. The program concludes with a graduation on Nov. 30.

Those who are enrolled in the Fall 2023 ELLP Trellix Cohort are the following: Brandon Ballesteros, Felip Ballesteros, Maria Becerra, Samantha Bolet, Rafael Castro, Jesus Flores, Radiris Diaz, Amy Gregory, Jose Miguel Jara-Garcia, Alana Mondragon, Krista Kaszycki, Samiha Makawi, Ada Martinez Martinell, Loren Mejia, Jocelyn Ortiz, Marilyn Rodriguez, Ursula Rodriguez, Fabianna Rodriguez-Mercado and Ximena Siguenza Cabrera.

Business publications such as Forbes address the low participation of Latinos in cybersecurity positions. In a September 2022 article, the magazine mentions the Aspen Digital Tech Policy report that cites that "only 9% of cybersecurity experts are Black. About 8% are Asian, and 4% are Hispanic." The article also added: "Expensive education puts minorities at a disadvantage because they are more likely to come from low-income households. Poverty severely limits not only the IT courses the students can take but, more importantly, their exposure to IT and computer science in general."

HACE CEO Patricia Mota is excited to work with Trellix to encourage Latino/a/x/e professionals to look at these fields for potential career paths.

"Through the HACE-Trellix Cybersecurity Leadership program, we will not only be able to outfit our members with mentoring and vital skilling opportunities but also introduce our broader network to the field of cybersecurity," she said. "A recent Fortune article explained that there is a global shortage of 3.4 million workers in the field according to the 2022 (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of cybersecurity jobs will grow by 35% between 2021 and 2031. With this program and other strategic partnerships, our goal is to increase the 4% of Latino professionals currently employed in the field to 20% and beyond."

Trellix Chief Human Resources Officer Michael Alicea said that partnerships with organizations such as HACE "elevate our industry."

"Partnering with HACE to launch a comprehensive mentorship and educational program will help those in the Hispanic community build soft and hard skills related to cybersecurity," Alicea said. "At Trellix, we believe the work being done in cybersecurity is Soulful Work, contributing to the greater good of society.?Ninety-two percent of security professionals agree cybersecurity is purposeful, soulful work that motivates them. We're on a mission to broaden the awareness of cybersecurity as a meaningful, engaging career with lots of growth potential."

He added: "There is a large skills gap across the cybersecurity profession and a growing demand to fill roles. We know our industry strongly believes that greater mentorships, internships, and apprenticeship opportunities encourage and support participation from diverse backgrounds into cybersecurity-based roles. And bringing diversity to cybersecurity is one of the strongest ways to ensure we continue to grow and retain talent in the cyber workforce."?

This inaugural program is open to mid-level Latino/a/x/e professionals who are managers and directors or high-potential ERG /BRG leaders seeking culturally-relevant leadership development.

For more information, please visit this link.

About HACE:
The Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE) is a national nonprofit dedicated to the employment, development, and advancement of current and aspiring Latino professionals. Since 1982, HACE has served as a resource for Latinos in the workplace and is a subject matter expert for corporations seeking to access diverse talent. Through professional development, resources, and networks, and by facilitating access to meaningful career opportunities, HACE helps Latinos succeed in every phase of their career. With a network of over 97,000 members across the country, HACE works with employers to remain competitive in an increasingly dynamic economy by helping them attract, develop and retain Latino and diverse professionals. For information, visit https://www.haceonline.org/about-hace/.

About Trellix:
Trellix is a global company redefining the future of cybersecurity and soulful work. The company's open and native extended detection and response (XDR) platform helps organizations confronted by today's most advanced threats gain confidence in the protection and resilience of their operations. Trellix, along with an extensive partner ecosystem, accelerates technology innovation through machine learning and automation to empower over 40,000 business and government customers with living security. More at https://trellix.com. Follow Trellix on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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SOURCE HACE